The torches moved closer.
I watched from the shadow of the broken spire wall, heart beating fast. Five of them this time—more than before. I recognized some of their faces in the firelight.
Sir Edrin, the knight, was leading them.
Beside him was the rogue woman again. And the young healer. But now, two others were with them.
One wore silver robes—tall, with eyes like ice. A true mage. The other was a giant of a man, holding a warhammer the size of my chest.
They were the real threat.
The hero party. Or at least half of it.
They had found me.
I crouched behind the broken stone, watching. Listening.
"We found his trail near the river," said the rogue. "Same magic signs as before."
Edrin nodded. "He's close. Check the spire. If he's here, we strike."
"Alive?" asked the healer.
Edrin frowned. "That depends on him."
I pulled back from the edge and slipped down the stairs. My mind raced.
I had no traps.
No time to run.
Only one option: fight.
I looked down at my hand.
The Grimoire sat in my bag. Cold. Silent.
I pulled it out and opened it.
"Ready?" it whispered. "Then bleed."
I drew my knife and made a shallow cut across my palm.
Blood dripped onto the stone floor.
The pages turned on their own.
Spell: Chain of Binding
Wrap the enemy in shadows. Hold them tight. For ten breaths, they cannot move.
Cost: Pain.
Spell: Burning Circle
A ring of fire. Nothing enters. Nothing leaves.
Cost: Heat from your body.
I took a deep breath.
Then I drew the Burning Circle on the floor around the broken stairs.
The runes glowed faintly.
Next, I traced the Binding rune on the wall facing the door.
By the time the first boot stepped inside, I was ready.
Sir Edrin entered first, sword drawn, eyes scanning.
Then the rogue.
Then the mage.
The others stayed outside.
Edrin saw me standing near the altar.
"Kael Thorne," he said, voice sharp. "Your crimes end here."
I didn't speak.
He took a step forward—and triggered the Burning Circle.
Flames roared up around the room. A wall of fire blocked the doorway and sealed us in.
The others jumped back.
The rogue cursed. "It's a trap!"
Edrin raised his sword. "Coward!"
He charged.
I stepped back and touched the Chain of Binding rune.
Dark tendrils burst from the wall.
They wrapped around Edrin's arms and legs, locking him in place.
He growled and tried to move—but couldn't.
Ten breaths.
That was all I had.
I turned to the rogue.
She threw a dagger—it missed.
I threw one back. It scraped her shoulder.
She hissed, dodged behind the stone pillar.
The mage raised his staff.
Blue light flashed.
A shock spell.
I ducked. It hit the wall behind me and exploded.
Dust filled the air.
I coughed and rolled behind a fallen beam.
The Grimoire whispered.
"You are weak. But smart. Use the shadows."
I reached into my bag and pulled out the cloth I had written on yesterday.
The rune for Veil of Silence.
I activated it.
My footsteps vanished. My breathing stopped. I became a ghost.
I moved quickly, circling behind the mage.
He didn't hear me.
Didn't see me.
Until I touched his back—and pushed.
He stumbled forward, tripped, and hit his head on the altar. He groaned and didn't move.
The rogue saw me now.
She ran toward me, blades out.
I ducked under her swing and kicked her leg. She stumbled. I grabbed her arm, twisted it, and forced her to drop one of her daggers.
She elbowed me in the face.
Blood poured from my nose.
The Binding spell on Edrin broke.
He roared and charged again.
I ran.
Jumped over the fallen mage. Slid across the floor. Grabbed the dagger she dropped.
Turned just in time to block Edrin's swing.
Steel met steel.
My arm shook from the force. He was stronger than me. Trained. Angry.
But I was desperate.
I kicked him back and raised the dagger—but the rogue tackled me.
We rolled across the floor.
She had the upper hand. Pressed her blade to my throat.
I gritted my teeth.
"Say the word," the Grimoire said. "Say my name."
"I don't know your name," I whispered.
"You will."
The fire circle faded.
Heat drained from my body.
The others outside rushed in.
The healer, the giant, the silver mage.
Too many.
I was out of strength. Out of spells. Out of time.
I closed my eyes.
But then—something strange happened.
The ground shook.
All of us stopped.
A voice echoed through the spire.
Not loud—but everywhere.
"He has touched the stone. He has awakened the truth."
The floor beneath the altar cracked.
Black light poured out.
We all stumbled back.
The altar split in two—and a figure rose from the crack.
A shadow. No face. No eyes. Just smoke and red light.
Everyone froze.
Even Edrin.
The shadow turned toward me.
Then spoke, in a voice like wind through bones.
"You are not Kael Thorne. But you wear his skin."
My heart stopped.
The others stared at me.
"What does that mean?" Edrin growled.
I said nothing.
The shadow looked at the hero party.
"Leave. He is not ready. And you are not welcome."
The giant stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The shadow grew taller.
"I am the one Kael bound to this place. I am the price he paid. I am Vatharim."
The mage gasped. "That's impossible. Vatharim is a myth."
The shadow laughed.
"Then die believing in lies."
It raised a hand.
Wind exploded outward, knocking everyone off their feet.
I slammed into a wall. Pain shot through my back.
The others were thrown outside.
The shadow turned to me again.
"You used my eye. You saw too much. Now we are linked."
"What do you want?" I whispered.
"To survive. Just like you."
Then it vanished.
The spire went silent.
The others were gone. Fled into the trees.
I sat there, breathing hard. Bleeding. Shaking.
I had survived.
But something had changed.
Zzz.
I woke the next morning in pain. My body ached. My nose was swollen. My hand was cut.
But I was alive.
I limped to the altar.
The crack was gone. Sealed. No sign of Vatharim.
But I knew it hadn't been a dream.
The Grimoire sat beside me, warm to the touch.
"You carry more than my pages now," it said. "You carry my past."
I didn't know what that meant.
But I knew the hero party would return.
And next time, they wouldn't run.
Next time, they'd bring more.
The Broken Spire was no longer safe.
But I wasn't the same man who had entered it.
Kael Thorne had been a villain.
But I wasn't Kael.
Not really.
I was me.
And I would survive this world.
Even if I had to become worse than the villain.
--------///-----
And so, chapter 5 is done.
So here I am thanking you for taking yout precious time to read this and your patience.
See you in the next one!